Weft or filling thread holding device for looms.



No. 859,570. PATENTED JULY 9, 1907.

F. A. MILLS. WBFT 0R FILLING THREAD HOLDING DEVICE FOR LOOMS. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP AN. 111111 6.

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' No. 859,570. PATENTED JULY 9, 1907.

' F. A. MILLS. WEFT 0R FILLING THREAD HOLDING DEVICE FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mlwevnfoz Witnesses ssANefs As'rnus MILLS, or'LawREfNorE,jifrisslfonoss'r'rs.

wnr'r on FILLING THREAD HOLDING; nirvrcitlron- LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1

Patented July 9, 1907.

Application filed January 10,1905. Berislllo. 249,464.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, FuANcIs An'ruun MILLS, a citizen of the United States,- residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weft or Filling Thread Holding Devices for Looms; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention which forms the subject of this patent is directed to means to prevent the forcing of the weft or filling thread through the grid by the weft or filling fork in the operation of a loom, and for this purpose my said invention comprises a slidable instrument actuated by the movement of thelay and having the function of and forming a member of a clamp, the (o-acting member of which is carried byv the lay, whereby in the operation of weaving the weft or filling thread is seized and held between the saidcclamping members so that it cannot be drawn from the shuttle toward the grid and forced through it, and by which that portion of the weft or filling thread which crosses the grid between said clamping members and the shed,

" will be maintained taut insuring therebythe uninterruptedtilting of the weft fork in maintaining its function effective and certain. I

The following description read in connection with the accompanying drawings will enable any person skilled in the art to which my invention relates to understand and to practice my invention in the form in which I prefer to employ it; but it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the precise form and details of constructionherein illustrated and described, as the same/may be changed or modified in various particulars without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope'of the claims. Referring to these drawingsz-Figure 1 shows in perspective the left hand portion of the lay and the breast-beam of a loom embodying my invention in a preferable construction, theweft-thread holding parts being in thepositions they occupy before their function of holding the weft-thread is rendered operative. Fig. 2 shows in side'elevation the co-acting' parts of the device in their positions clamping or] holding the weft-thread. Fig. 3 shows in perspective the co-acting parts in the positions they occupy in Fig. 2 when holding or clamping the weft or filling thread to prevent it from being forced through the weft or filling grid by the weft or filling fork. Fig. 4 shows in top view the weft-grid, the weft fork andmy weft or filling thread holding device, in the positions they occupy just before the operation of clamping to hold the weft-thread to prevent the weft or filling ing fork-slide 4 t fork from forcingthe weft or filling thread through the weft or filling grid, and in advance of the weft fork tincs contacting with the weft-thread. Fig. 5 shows in side view the weft or filling grid, the weft or filling fork, and the weft or filling thread holding device in the positions they occupy when the shuttle stops in the path of the said devices. Fig. 6 shows in cross section the weft or filling thread holding arm and its yielding face. of the weft or filling thread holding clamp member fulcrumed or pivoted on the lay. Fig. 8 shows the modified weft or filling thread holder as pivotally mounted or fulcrnnied on the slide bar. Fig. 9 shows a modified construction of the cushioned weft or filling thread holder of the slide-bar. Fig. 10 shows in perspective a well known weft or filling grid and filling fork showing the weft or filling thread forced throughthe weft grid by the weft or filling fork which the purpose of my invention is to prevent.

Referringto Fig. 1, the lay 1, the breast-beam 2, having the fixed braiket or slide-way 3, for the weft or f ille weft or filling fork tines 5, pivotally mounted on said slide and having a loop 6, to co-opcrate with the usual latch or pusher 7, of the actuator 8, when the fork is not operated by the weft or filling thread 9, as in the case when there is no filling or weft thread crossing the path of the grid 10, or when the weftthread is forced through said grid by said fork as in Fig. 10, together with the shuttle and other well known parts shown in Fig. 1, maybe of the usual construction and operate in substantially the same manner, to either cause the stoppag of the loom, or to cause the transfer of a fresh supply. of filling in automatic or magazine looms. The shuttle is indicated at x.

In the construction shown in Fig. 10 it very often happens that the weft or filling fork forces the w ft or filling thread through the weft or filling grid which will defeat the tilting of the weft or filling fork and the rcsult will cause the weft-fork-slide pusher to engage and hold the loop of the weft or filling fork as in Fig. l0; and the result following this operation will be that the loom will be either caused to stop or a fresh supply of filling automaticallytransferred from a magazine or hopper into the shuttle to be picked through the shed to the opposite shuttle-box.

The primary object of my invention is to prevent the forcing of the weft or filling thread through said grid by said fork; and for thispur'pose my invention resides in means for seizing and holding the filling thread between clamp-members, whereby it is held so that cannot be drawn from the shuttle supply under the pressure due to the action or weight in tilting the weft or filling fork by; the. forward movement of the lay in laying or heating the weft or filling into cloth; and semi as I know Fig. 7 shows in side view a form of construction and can find I am the first to devise means in a loom for clamping and holding, the filling or weft-thread from being forced through the weft-grid by the weft-fork in the operation of weaving and thereby prevent either the stoppage of the loom or the transfer of filling in automatic looms when such transfer should not occur. The means which I have shown for effecting this object comprises clamping members by which the weft or filling thread 9, is held from movement. One of said members 11, is carried by the lay between the shuttle-box wall 12, and the weft or filling grid 10, and may be of rubber,

felt or like substance; or it may be the face of the wall is caused to engage and hold the weft or filling thread by a clamping function against the member carried by the lay. In this clamping and holding the weft or filling thread it will be understood that said thread which crosses the path of and between said clamping members will be held so. as to prevent the weft or filling thread from being drawn by said fork from the shuttle; or from any slack which may occur between the shuttle and said clamping members; while that portion of the weft or filling thread crossing the grid between the said clamping and holding members and the shed, will be held taut and thereby cause the .weft fork to be tilted rather than cause the weft-thread to be forced through the weft grid by the weft fork. The important result of this clamping and holding of the weft or filling thread, allows the loom to continue weaving instead of being stopped; and in automatic looms prevents the change of fresh filling when such change should not occur.

I provide means for holding the weft thread between the shuttle and the weft grid to effect an important result. This means consists of the simple construction of a pair of tines 5, 5 made of a single piece ofwire bent in the form shown in the drawings and secured by the pivoted clamp block 27, and which I find prevents the tines from becoming loose and the loop pulled away from the tine holder. To suit this pair of fork tines I provide a grid of corresponding bars forming two spaces of considerable distance apart to allow considerable leeway for the fork tines to pass through without striking the gridbars in which event the weft fork would be thereby tilted and prevent change of filling in automatic weaving and.produce what is termed thin places in the cloth; while in other than automatic looms the result would be that the loom would continue running whenit should be stopped.

In Figs. 5 and 9 the arm clamping member is shown as being rigid with its spring pressed carrying slide-rod;

in Fig. 6 the cushion part being shown as squeezed.

lay, and is held at the angle which it is caused to assume by the pressure of a blade-spring 16. In this tilting of the said holder it is limited by the hook end 17 of the blade spring and by the bent end 26, of the spring pressed slide rod. The weft clamping member shown in Fig. 7 may be pivoted to either the weft or filling grid, or to the shuttle-box back wall. Obviously both clamping members may be rigid or both pivoted; or one may be rigid and the other pivoted so as to tilt and this tilting is to allow an even pressure from the top to the bottom of the clamping members to insure the certainty of holding the weft thread irrespective of its position between the clamping surfaces.- Looking at Fig. 5 when the shuttle happens to stop in front of the grid and fork, the shuttle will cause the fork tines to be tilted and the armed clamping member to lie forced back against the pressure of the spring 18, and the yielding of the cushioned arm, is to prevent damage to the said weft thread holding device or the shuttle. I

It will be understood that by my invention the weftfork will be actuated with certainty and for this purpose I have shown, looking at Fig. 2, how the filling thread is held between the clamping members at Qand being thus held showing how the weft-fork is caused to be tilted by the impingement of the filling thread against the tines of the fork and the grid.

In the operation of the clamping device it is important to note that the slidable member is in advance of the fork-tines so as to clamp and hold the weft thread in advance of the contact of the fork-tines with the fill ing thread and thereby cause the clamping and holding of the weft-thread prior to the weft-thread contacting with the weft-fork, so that when the weft-grid presses the weft-thread against the weft-fork, it will be certain to tilt, raising its loop end thereby preventing the hook of the fork slide actuator from engaging said loop of the fork. When the fork loop or hopper to the shuttle. The pusher part 23, operates the lever 24 to disengage the hand lever 25 to stop the loom in a well known manner.

I have shown in Fig. 1 the filling thread 9 as passing from the shuttle in front of the grid and into the material being woven and between these points the means for holding and clamping the weft thread.

Looking at Figs. 1 and 4 it will be noted that the felt 11 is seated in a vertical trough shaped pocket forming a part o and at one side of the grid and that the felt 1], is caused to be compressed by contact therewith of the yielding thread holding device thereby allowing the thread to be clamped into the felt'which has the effect of and causes the weft thread to be held taut between the cloth and thread holding device and therefore hold the filling or weft thread taut across the grid-bars so that the fork-tines cannot push'the weft thread which leads from the cloth across the grid to the thread holding device for holding the weft thread tautv through the grid as seen in Figs. l and .i. i

In the foregoing description 1 have in designating the grid and the fork adopted the namosknown in the art and in trade as well. or filling-grid and well. or fillingfork, and it will be understood that these designations are identical with the term filling-detector as applied to the well. or filling-York; and that. the term detecting beat. is identical with the forward movement of thelay.

I claim:

1. in a loom, the lay, a filling grid, :1 fillingdork, and an instrument actuated by the lay for holding the filling thread between the. shuttle and said grid, to prevent the lilling thread from being forced through said grid by said i'ork.

L. 'in a loom, the lay, a iilling grid, :1 filling fork, and a clamp one member of which is mounted on the breastbeam, the other member mounted on the lay, for bolding the filling thread between the shuttle and said grid for the purpose of preventing the .fiiling thread from being forced through the grid by said fork. Y I

3. In a loom, the lay, a filling-grid, a filling fork, and a elamp'one member of which is mounted to slide under spring pressure, the other member mounted on the lay and adapted to actuate the slidable member, for the purpose of preventing the filling thread from being forced through the grid by said fork.

4. in a loom, the lay, a iilling-grid, a fiiling-fork, and a clump of co-aeting cushioned members, one of which is spring pressed and adapted to seize and hold the filling thread between the shuttle and the said grid, for the purpose stated. i

in a loom, the lay, a filling-grid, a filling-fork, and a clamp one membenof which is an arm carried ,by a spring pressed rod, the other member mounted to actuate said spring pressed arm to clamp and hold the filling thread between the shuttle and said grid, for the purpose stated. ii. in a loom, the lay, a filling grid, a filling-fork, and a clamp of two members one of which is carried bythe lay between the grid and the shuttle, the other member mounted on the breast-beam to receive the impact of the lay member, for the purpose specified.

T. in a loom, the lay, a filling grid, :1 filling-fork, and a clamp comprising a pair of cushioned members, either or both of which are pivoted and one actuating the other to seize and to hold the filling thread between the shuttle and the grid for the purpose stated.

8. in a loom, the lay, a filling grid, a filling-fork, and a clamp comprising a pair of cushioned members oneof which is carried by the lay at a side of the grid, the other member carried at one side ed the filling fork in alinement with the lay member and actuated by it, for the purpose specified.

il. in a loom, a lay, a filling grid, a weft fork, and means outside the shuttle for preventing the filling thread from being forced through the weft grid by the weft fork.

10. in a loom, the lay, a filling-gr d, a filling-fork. and means outside the shuttle for clamping and holding the filling thread in advance of the filling fork'presslng the iilling thread against the bars of the grid.

11. in a loom, the lay, a filling-grid carried on the lay, a filling-fork pivotally mounted on a slide-way on the ln-east-beam, in combination with means for operating upon the weft-thread which extends between the weft-grid and the shuttle when in the shuttle-box for preventing the weft-thread from being forced through the weft-grid by the wet't-t'ork.

12. in a loom, a lay, a weft grid, a weft fork, and means outside the shuttle yieldingly engaging the weft thread to prevent it from being forced through the grid by said fork. I i

13. In a loom, inlay, a filling g-rld, a weft fork, a shuttle box. a surfncebetween the filling grid and the shuttlebox adjacent. thereto against which a filling thread may be clamped and means to clamp the filling thread against said surface. thereby to prevent the weft fork from forcing the filling thread through the grid.

H. in u loom. a lay provided with a shuttle-box. a grid near the mouth of the shuttle-box provided with a vertical recess at the box side. a yielding filling for said recess. a wel'i-i'ork movable across the lay in front of the grid as the lay heals up. amt means to hold the weft-thread between the grid and the shuttle when the latter is boxed. the grid sustaining the weft-thread in front: of t.he weft i'ork' while the holding means maintains the weft-thread taut when engaged by the wefbfork, whereby the action of thelattcr is rendered certain.

15. In, a loom, a lay provided with the shuttle-box, a grid near the mouth of the shuttle-box, a shuttle, a weftfork, and yieldingly. mounted means independent of thelay and of the slmttle to act upon the weft or ilillngtlii'ead between the shuttle and the grid and maintain the fillingthrea d taut across the grid to be engaged by the weft-fork as the lay beats i'orward.

16. in a loom, a lay provided with a shuttle-box, a grid near the. mouth of the shultle-box, a shuttle, a weft-fork, and means yieldingly mounted at right angles to the grid at the box side thereof and independently of the lay to act upon the weft-thread between the shuttle and the grid and maintain the weft-thread iaut across the grid to be engaged by the weft-fork 'as the lay heats up, the grid sus iaining lhc wefithread whilo ihe holding means prevents.

the slip of the filling and maintains it properly taut be tween the shuttle and the cloth.

17. in a loom, a. lay provided with a shuttlebox, a

shuttle, av weft-fork, a grid near the mouth of the shuttlebox and yieldingly-mounied means to co-operate with means carried by the lay between the shuttle-box and the grid and hold the weft or filling-thread in position to be sustained by the grid and thereby presented taut to the filling-fork on the forward beat of the lay.

18. in a loom, a lay provided with a shuttle-box, a grid near the mouth of the box, a weft or filling-fork; and means outside the shuttle to act upon the filling between the shuttle and the grid and hold the filling-thread taut across the grid in front of the fork.

19. in a loom, a lay provided with a shuttle-box, a grid near the mouth of the box, a weft or filling-fork, a finger mounted on the breast-beam and having its free end depending at oneslde of and in advance of the fork, and a pad on the finger to engagethe filling between-the shuttle and the grid and hold it taut across the grid in front of the fork on the forward beat of the lay.

20. in a loom, a lay provided with a shuttle-box, a grid near the mouth of the box, a filling or weft-fork, and yieldlngly mounted means normally projecting beyond the plane of the fork to act upon the filling between the shuttle and the grid and hold the iilling taut across the grid in front of the fork on the forward heat of the lay.

21. in a loom, a lay provided with a shuttle-box, a grid 'near the mouth of the shuttle-box, a filling-fork or filling detector movable across the raceway of the lay in front or the grid as the lay heats up, and means to clamp the filling between the grid and the shuttle when the latter is boxed,

the grid sustaining the filling in front of the fork or detee-tor while the clampingm ans maintains the filling taut when engaged by the detect r, whereby the action of the latter is rendered certain.

22. in a loom, a lay provided with a shuttle-box, a grid near the mouth of the shuttle'box, a filling-fork or fillingdeteetor to detect presence or absence of the filling in front of the grid when the shuttle is in the shuttle-box, and

means supported independently of the lay to clamp the tween the shuttle and the grid and maintain the filling I a taut across the grid to be engaged by the filling-detectnr I lay for forcing the weft-thread against said fork, in com- 10 on the detecting beat of the lay. bination with means for holding the weft-thread located :34. In a loom, a lay provided with a shuitle'bux. a grid between said weft-fork and the shuttle.

near the month of the box, a filling-fork. and means out- In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this .side the shuttle to act upon the filling between the shuttle specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

and .the grid and draw the filling taut across the grid in I I FRANCIS ARTHUR MILLS.

front of the fork on the detecting beat of the lay. Witnesses:

25. In a 100m. the lay, the shuttle-box, the shuttle, and A. E. H. JOHNSON,

a weft-fork, and means carried on and movable with the THOMAS HOOD YEAGER. 

